Chris Johnson

Johnson married his wife, Brittany, and the couple has four children. In March 2015, he survived a drive-by shooting in his hometown of Orlando, Florida. A bullet struck his shoulder during the incident, which resulted in the death of the driver, Dreekius Oricko Johnson.

Johnson received a diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2025. He went public with the condition during a June 2026 interview on Good Morning America with Michael Strahan. By that time, the disease had impaired his speech, requiring the use of an assistive vocal device. His announcement prompted widespread support across the football community, including a revival of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge led by league commissioner Roger Goodell and former players Steve Gleason, Deion Sanders, and Adrian Peterson.

Speed defined Johnson from his high school days in Orlando. At Olympia High School, he recorded a 10.38-second 100 meters and finished second in the 2004 Florida state finals behind future Olympian Walter Dix. He was rated a two-star recruit and committed to East Carolina University.

He played four seasons with the East Carolina Pirates as a multi-purpose threat. His breakout arrived during his 2007 senior season, when he totaled 2,960 all-purpose yards and 24 touchdowns. In his final collegiate appearance at the 2007 Hawai'i Bowl against Boise State, Johnson set an NCAA FBS postseason record with 408 all-purpose yards, rushing for 223 yards in a 41-38 victory. He later returned to the university to complete his communications degree, graduating in 2020.

At the 2008 NFL Scouting Combine, Johnson ran a 4.24-second 40-yard dash, tying the electronic timing record. The Tennessee Titans selected him in the first round with the 24th overall pick. As a rookie, he paired with power runner LenDale White in a backfield nicknamed "Smash and Dash." Johnson rushed for 1,228 yards, earned a Pro Bowl selection, and finished second in Offensive Rookie of the Year voting.

In 2009, Johnson led the league with 2,006 rushing yards, becoming the sixth player to reach the 2,000-yard mark. He broke Marshall Faulk's single-season record with 2,509 yards from scrimmage. The performance earned him AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors and the nickname "CJ2K." He recorded 12 consecutive 100-yard rushing games spanning 2009 and 2010. Over his six seasons in Tennessee, he reached 1,000 rushing yards each year and established an NFL record with six career touchdown runs of 80 yards or longer.

Tennessee released Johnson in April 2014, ending his six seasons with the franchise. He signed with the New York Jets and posted 663 rushing yards in his lone season in New York. In 2015, he joined the Arizona Cardinals on a one-year deal and climbed among the league's top rushers before a fractured tibia ended his season in Week 12.

Johnson spent two more seasons in Arizona in a rotational role before his release in October 2017. He announced his formal retirement from professional football in November 2018. Five months later, he signed a ceremonial one-day contract with the Tennessee Titans to retire with the franchise. Tennessee inducted him into the team's Ring of Honor, and he entered both the Senior Bowl Hall of Fame and the Tennessee Sports Hall of Fame.